


you and me in this city of love

by justwannabeafangirl



Category: What If It's Us - Becky Abertalli and Adam Silvera
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Major Spoilers, don't read this if you haven't read the entire book yet, happy release day!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-07-28 18:13:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16247108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justwannabeafangirl/pseuds/justwannabeafangirl
Summary: “You know what I regret about that proposal?”“You regret something about that proposal? I thought it was perfect! You told me it was perfect!”“It was! I just, I don’t know, I wish I’d gotten to propose to you, too.” Arthur’s gaze fell to the floor.“So do it.”“Right now?”“Right now.”-or-Arthur and Ben make a very spontaneous life decision.Title: "We Are Home" from In Transit





	you and me in this city of love

**Author's Note:**

> I got a signed and personalized ARC from Becky and Adam at EpicReads Day in NYC in July and I read it as soon as I got home; by the time I'd finished it, I had the idea for this fic. In Transit is one of my favorite musicals, and "We Are Home" is my favorite song from it. I've wanted to write a fic based on this song for a long time, so once I knew that Arthur loves musicals and that his and Ben's love story takes place in New York City, I knew that this song would be perfect for them. This idea has been sitting in my mind for three months, and I'm so glad I can finally share it on the same day that the magic that is What If It's Us arrives on bookshelves everywhere. I hope you guys enjoy the book and this fic : )
> 
> I'll warn you all again here in case you didn't see the tag: this fic contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the end of the book. I don't want any of you to spoil the ending for yourselves, so come back here once you've finished the book.

A month had passed since Arthur and Ben’s college graduations, and they were finally moving into an apartment in New York City together.

It all still felt so surreal to Arthur. They’d dated for a summer, fallen in love, broken up for two years, reunited in New York City when Arthur came back for a summer for another internship, and decided to just say screw it and do the long distance thing when it was time for Arthur to move back into Wesleyan.

Three summers later, they were engaged and moving into their first apartment together.

None of it would ever feel real.

“Hey, babe,” Arthur said softly, nudging Ben with his hip. “Can you hold this box for me for a second so I can open the apartment door? The door stopper must have moved.”

“Of course,” Ben replied, carefully taking the fairly large box out of Arthur’s hands and balancing it with the one he was already holding. Arthur slid the key into the door and turned the handle, holding the door open with his shoulders as he took the box back from Ben.

Arthur and Ben gently set the boxes down on the slightly dusty apartment floor, and Arthur couldn’t help letting out a sigh of relief as a grin split his face. “Well, that’s it, then. Those were the last two boxes. We’re officially moved into the apartment. _Our_ apartment.” Ben took his hands, and Arthur stood on his tiptoes to kiss Ben slowly, his eyes slipping closed.

They parted, foreheads touching, and Ben chuckled. “If you had told me when we first met that we’d manage to find each other and have the happiest ending imaginable, I never would have believed you. I’d probably still be pining over Hudson, honestly.”

“We probably wouldn’t all be friends now if the two of us hadn’t met.”

“He sure as hell wouldn’t be my best man.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “I thought Dylan was your best man?”

“They’re both my best man.”

“Ben! You can’t have more than one best man!” Arthur crossed his arms, trying in vain to hide his smile.

“I can’t?” Ben pouted, and Arthur’s facade broke to pieces.

“Well, I _guess_ there can be an exception for you.”

“Thank you. That means a lot to me.” Ben smiled, sliding his arm around Arthur’s shoulders. “So, now what?”

Arthur shrugged slightly, leaning his head against Ben’s shoulder. “Want to go visit the post office? We haven’t been there in a while.”

“Even though that’s not going to be our post office anymore because there’s another one much closer? Sure, why not?”

“Don’t remind me,” Arthur muttered, shoving Ben lightly.

All of the seats on the subway were taken, but there was plenty of space to stand, so Arthur and Ben held on as tightly as they could to the straps and the poles in the center of the car.

“Remember when you proposed to me?” Arthur said, taking Ben’s hand.

“No,” Ben deadpanned, laughing when Arthur’s smile faltered in surprise. “I’m kidding! Of course I do. How could I ever forget?”

“I still can’t believe I fell for you telling me that you’d found more of Hudson’s stuff that you needed to mail back to him. It was four years after you broke up. Four years!”

“You must have known that I wasn’t serious.”

Arthur shook his head, laughing at himself. “I guess I must have known that something was up, but went along with it anyway for you.”

“Well, I’m glad you did.”

“And then we went to the post office and you said —”

“‘Four years ago today, my life changed forever when we met in this very post office. The next time we came back, we broke up. Then, we met up here three summers ago and decided to get back together. Every single time we’re here, something life-changing happens, don’t you think?’”

“And then you got down on one knee!” Arthur said, the excitement in his voice evident as he thought back to that magical moment. “And you said, ‘Arthur Seuss, you made me believe in love and happy endings again, and I can’t imagine living the rest of my life without you. So, will you marry me?’”

“That I did, that I did.” Ben smirked. “You cried so hard, Arthur, I wish you could have seen your face.”

Arthur sighed. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m an emotional person. At least they were happy tears!”

“They were the cutest happy tears the world has ever seen.”

“Why, thank you,” Arthur said. “You know what I regret about that proposal?”

“You _regret_ something about that proposal? I thought it was perfect! You _told_ me it was perfect!”

“It was! I just, I don’t know, I wish I’d gotten to propose to you, too.” Arthur’s gaze fell to the floor.

“So do it.”

“Right now?”

“Right now.”

“Okay,” Arthur said slowly, getting down on one knee in the middle of the subway car. He was surprised to find he didn’t even mind the fact that everyone’s eyes were on him. Him and Ben. “Here goes.” He took a deep breath. “I choose you, Ben. I choose you for who you are and who you’ll be. I want to be there by your side, loving you with pride forever. I want to spend every single day of my life with you. We’ll be home, you and me in this city of love. Benjamin Alejo, will you marry me, still?” He held out his hands as if he was opening an invisible ring box.

“Yes. Yes, I will! I do!” The other subway passengers clapped for them, some even cheering. Arthur blushed, and Ben smiled. “Now please, babe, get up, that floor is filthy!”

“Yes, I think I knelt in ketchup!” Arthur said, standing up and grabbing the subway pole again, laughing. “I can’t wait for our wedding next month.”

“You know what?” Ben said suddenly. “Forget next month. We already have the license. I don’t want to wait one more second to marry you.”

“What are you suggesting, we go to city hall right now?”

“We’re only a few stops away.”

Arthur took a deep breath. They’d been planning their wedding for a year, and it would have been perfect. But at the same time, Ben was right. They’d waited long enough, and for some reason, getting married now just felt _right_. And if the universe was telling him it was right, then who was Arthur not to listen to the universe? It hadn’t steered him wrong before. They could still have the party next month, anyway.

“Okay! Let’s go get married, right now.”

**Author's Note:**

> If this fic made you smile, and I sincerely hope it did, check out "We Are Home" and the entire In Transit cast recording because it'll make you smile, too : )
> 
> Find me on [tumblr](http://justwannabeafangirl.tumblr.com) if you'd like!!


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